This invention relates to the scrambling of dice or like items bearing surface markings, which are often utilized in connection with board games. More specifically, the present invention relates to a self-contained device designed to tumble dice and like objects, which can also be used to securely contain the dice for storage and shipping purposes.
Many games utilize dice or other three-dimensional objects (pyramids) bearing indicia on adjacent surfaces. Both board games such as MONOPOLY, and non-board games such as YAHTZEE, require players to roll dice to play the games. Customarily, the dice are rolled by the player taking his turn by simply throwing them onto the board or a suitable horizontal surface. The dice are scrambled in widely varying degrees either in the player's hand, or in a cup provided for scrambling and throwing the dice.
Obviously, scrambling and throwing the dice from a players hand or a hand held cup may give one player an advantage over another. Further, even when a cup is provided with a particular game, there is typically no secure means for storing the dice or like objects when the game is not in use. An effort to overcome some of these drawbacks, dice shakers, such as that illustrated in U.S. Pat. No. 3,468,543 have been developed. Such dice shakers, however, provide a minimal level of scrambling and are often of an unduly complicated design.
Accordingly, there has been a need for a novel device for scrambling dice and the like, which is of simple construction, and is easy to understand and use. Additionally, there exists a need for a dice scrambler capable of deflecting dice traveling therethrough in three planes, and includes pins which may be repositioned to change the scrambling characteristics of the device as desired. Further, a dice scrambler is needed which can be configured for both tumbling dice and presenting the scrambled results in a preselected area, and which can be reconfigured to provide a closed container for the device for storage and shipping purposes. The present invention fulfills these needs and provides other related advantages.